Invoice redirection fraud
A scam in which a fraudster alters the bank details on a genuine-looking invoice so that payment is diverted to an account they control.
Invoice redirection fraud is a scam in which a fraudster changes the bank details on a genuine-looking invoice so that payment is diverted to an account they control. The goods or services may be real and the supplier relationship genuine; only the destination of the money has been altered.
It typically begins with a request to 'update our bank details', sent by email or on a convincingly formatted invoice. Because finance teams process bank-detail changes routinely, the request rarely stands out, and the fraud is often discovered only when the real supplier chases an unpaid invoice.
The defence is to verify any change of bank details against the supplier's confirmed identity before paying, rather than trusting the document in front of you.
Accounting Links flags changes to supplier bank details and checks them against the verified supplier identity, so a redirected invoice is caught before payment rather than after.